


Pieces

by scribbles2k17



Series: Elena & Cullen [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, One Shot Collection, Slow Burn, These two nerds have a lot to work through, Toxic circle experiences for my sweet lil Elena
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:02:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24085561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribbles2k17/pseuds/scribbles2k17
Summary: A one shot collection created to explore the relationship between my Inquisitor, Elena Trevelyan, and Cullen.
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford & Female Trevelyan, Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford, Female Mage Inquisitor & Cullen Rutherford
Series: Elena & Cullen [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750249
Kudos: 1





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Some very early tensions and insecurities between the lovebirds

Haven was dark and covered in a fresh dusting of snow by the time they rode back into the village. Candles had been dimmed in homes, and the Inquisition soldiers were tucked away in either the tavern or makeshift barracks beneath the Chantry. 

Elena took the quiet to her advantage and found herself at the dock that sat above the frozen lake. The constant stares and judgement took more out of her than she’d ever readily admit, but she found that she couldn’t complain at the newfound freedom. She found herself in awe at the vastness of the world and took every chance she could to simply marvel at it. 

Even just the snow was enough to capture her attention fully. Ostwick lacked seasons, so to speak, and the walls of the Circle lacked even more. The bite at the tip of her nose was new enough to be fascinated by. 

She jumped when a heavy footfall sounded on the wood behind her, causing her to turn quickly to see the Commander approaching. She tensed at the sight, but remained where she was. As tense as things had been between the pair of them, but she was trying to not let her past fears have a place in what seemed to be her new life. She’d been assured by Cassandra, Varric and Leliana that the man was not like many of his former Templar counterparts; that he’d intentionally left the Order behind to seek a life more befitting of what he imagined he’d find in the Templars. 

He was out of his normal armor and fur mantle, but instead stood in a thick, fur-lined coat. “Would you mind if I should join you for a moment, Herald?”

She looked at him incredulously, but nodded nonetheless. Her forest green eyes watched his approach until he stood next to her at the edge of the dock. He looked briefly to her, before his eyes skidded across the expanse of ice before them. “Everything went well in the Hinterlands, I assume.”

“Yes, we managed to arrange resources for those at the Crossroads, as well as clear the quarreling mages and Templars from the area.” She explained tensely, her guard still up in self-preservation. 

“That is good… Your actions will prove good for the image that the Inquisition is trying to get across to the people.” He answered. Elena glanced towards him, noting the way his eyes were closed in thought. She couldn’t help the way her eyes lingered on the strong features of his face, or how fascinated she was with the bit of scruff that was covering his jawline. When his eyes opened and turned to look in her direction her own eyes shot to the expanse in front of them, feeling her cheeks heat at the idea of being caught staring. “I must admit that I am not here to discuss your recent work in the Hinterlands.”

A puff of white air slipped out of her lips before she turned to regard him. “I figured as much since there is a meeting set for the morning to discuss my travels.” It was his turn to blush despite the cold air, yet he didn’t look away from her. “So what was it that you wanted to address?”

He sighed before he clutched his hands behind his back. “I have been plagued since you left, with thoughts of our last interaction. I acted poorly and you did not deserve my temper.”

“Commander, I understand that—” She started.

“No, Herald, you don’t understand.” He interrupted with a frustrated tone. He turned on his feet so that his body was facing her, some kind of disappointment settled deep in the lines of his face. “I will not deny that my opinions and treatment of mages has been poor in the past. I spent years allowing myself to be corrupted by forces beyond me, and while I have made immense strides past my time as a Templar, there are still places where I fall short.

“As I’ve said, you do not deserve my distrust when all you’ve done is work tirelessly to aid the Inquisition. I’ve seen blood mages and demons, but you are neither. I do not know what you endured in the Circle, but I can only imagine that the Templars in Ostwick were not kind. You are free of that treatment in the Inquisition, and I do not wish to subject you to whatever fears you experienced there.”

Elena bit her bottom lip, and hesitantly kept Cullen’s gaze. There was a certain warmth in his honey, brown eyes that gave her pause. She wouldn’t deny that she’d feared him since her arrival, unable to look beyond his past and shrinking back into the timid Circle mage she’d been a few months before. “Commander, you don’t need to do this.” She whispered.

“Yes, I do. The Inquisition needs your trust, and I know that it isn’t there because of me,” he explained, “because of who I was.” A hand reached out to her, but it froze in the space between them before he pulled it back quickly. “There is nothing to fear from me, or any former Templars who choose to join our ranks. You will be treated the same as one who doesn’t have magic because despite the thoughts of some, you are just as worthy of our respect and our support.” 

Elena took a steadying breath after hearing the words that she’d never heard before, nor truly believed. She tore her eyes back to the landscape to her left, watching as a white puff of her own breath clouded her vision. “I’d never seen snow before I came here, you know.” She mumbled into the cold.

“What was that, Herald?” The strong Fereldan accent asked from beside her, causing her to look back up to him.

“It’s Elena, please.” She corrected gently. “I can’t stand being called that, not when I don’t need to be.” She gave the Commander a tentative smile, perhaps for the first time, before she held her gloved hand out to catch a few delicate flakes. “It didn’t snow in Ostwick, and if it ever did, we weren’t allowed to leave the Tower much anyway. I find myself fascinated with it all; the mountains, the valleys, all of it. I fear that the people are flocking to Haven to see the Herald of Andraste, and all they will see is a young mage who stares wide-eyed at snowflakes.”

A deep laugh fell out of the man’s mouth. Elena looked to him to see a smile gracing those handsome features. “I can’t speak for those who flock to Haven, but for those of us who support you it has been quite refreshing to see someone look at the world with wonder and fascination.”

“You don’t see a naive mage who’s vulnerable to whatever demons stalk Haven?” She asked quietly.

“Hera—” he started before he stopped himself to use her name instead. “Elena, you forget that I have spent most of my life around some of the most powerful mages in Thedas. I know that the mages who have impeccable control over their magic are the ones who aren’t likely to be twisted by demons. From all I’ve seen you have that control. I’ve feared the corruption of many mages, but you are not one of them.”

“You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t believe you,” she stated quietly as she crossed her arms over her chest. “After nineteen years of being told that the most I could do for Thedas is stay locked up and not use my magic, I fear that I may be more susceptible to corruption. All I’ve ever known is that my magic…” She took a deep breath, filled with resignation. “That I am a mistake, and that I should be locked away.”

Cullen’s brows furrowed. “Elena, you can’t truly believe that.”

Elena shook her head briefly before she closed her eyes against the look of concern emanating from her Commander. When her eyes opened she steeled her expression, similar to how she did with the rougher Templars in Ostwick. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Commander.” Without another word she turned back towards Haven and hurried away before the somewhat baffled Commander could stop her.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My head canon is that the Ostwick Circle taught the very minimum of magic that they could get away with. Mages got in trouble for using magic, except with permission and supervision from a Templar. They were much more keen on pretending that the magic didn't exist.

Cullen watched from afar as Solas once again demonstrated the quick, but deadly, burst of fire. He’d led Elena out of Haven nearly two hours before, and at the edge of the frozen water he’d begun modeling a few offensive spells for her to try. Solas would cast a spell into the empty area in front of them, explain a few things, then wait patiently as Elena gave them her best attempt. None of which had come easily to her. 

He’d overheard her talking to Cassandra a few weeks before, telling the Seeker that she’d never been taught anything besides basic defense magic and a substantial amount of healing skills. Quietly explaining that the Chantry in Ostwick didn’t want to teach or encourage anything that might be used against the Chantry and its servants. When Cassandra had questioned further about the Ostwick Circle Elena hesitantly admitted that the schools of magic were taught by book and through horror stories of blood magic and demons. She’d never learned to use any elemental magic, hadn’t even had the chance to find what her own magic naturally leaned towards.

So there she was, attempting to find her niche in one of the schools of magic. Cullen tried not to watch, but he couldn’t help being a bit curious as to where her talents were. His soldiers were running through routine drills, which gave him the time to watch as Elena took a deep breath and cast her hands out to her sides before forcing them in front of her. A small flare erupted from her hands, reaching about four feet in front of her. Even across the distance Cullen could see the hopeful gleam in those green eyes when she’d turned to gage Solas’s reaction. The elf gave an encouraging nod, but the ever dutiful teacher, he began explaining something more. Elena’s shoulders drooped and her lips pursed when Solas again demonstrated with his own magic. 

Cullen gave a moment of thought before he caught the eye of one of his lieutenants to let the other man know he was in charge for a moment. He slowly made his way to the pair, appreciating the chance to watch as Elena attempted the magic a few more times before he reached them. Her motions became more sure with each go of it, and an almost giddy smile was making its way across her delicate features. Cullen couldn’t help grinning as well until he reached Solas, who was standing a bit to the side of her. 

The other man stood straight as always, accompanied by an unreadable expression as he watched on. “Commander,” he acknowledged quietly enough that Elena didn’t hear. 

“I couldn’t help but notice that you two have been out here for quite awhile. How’s it coming along?” Cullen asked, knowing that neither of them looked favorably at idle conversation when there were more important things to be done.

“She’s impatient,” Solas commented when Elena tried, and somewhat failed at summoning a small ball of fire to her hand. “She frustrates easily. I believe it is because she feels that she is less than she should be. Your Circle took much away from her, and she has to make up for that lost time and teaching now.” 

Cullen clenched his jaw at the man’s words, knowing that they were an underhanded comment about his own past with the Templars. “Both the Fereldan and Kirkwall Circles encouraged mages to at least explore their natural abilities. I was completely unaware that any Circles denied mages that right.” 

Hesitantly, Cullen turned his head ever so slightly to see no change in Solas. He was simply looking forward, as though he hadn’t meant to stab at a weak spot beneath Cullen’s armor. “All it means is that she must carry the weight of Thedas on her shoulders while learning how to use her magic to protect herself and everyone around her. No easy feat, but she has no other choice.”

Cullen’s attention drew back to Elena when she let out something of a high pitched squeal. She turned to look at Solas, a beaming smile on her face, when she caught sight of his presence for the first time since his arrival. He almost groaned when he saw the pride recede from her features. She timidly tucked a piece of brown hair that had fallen from her braid behind her ear, and bit her lip. A small smile still remained despite the obvious nerves, and Cullen found himself grateful. “Commander, I didn’t know you were here.”

“I noticed that you two were practicing and I wanted to see how it was coming along.” Cullen explained gently, making sure to let a smile crack through his otherwise stony facade. 

Solas cleared his throat strategically, gaining both their attention. “We will continue this a bit later perhaps? I have things to be seen to, Herald.” He turned on his heel before either of them could protest, though if Elena’s expression told him anything, it was that she had wanted to keep practicing with the elf.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Cullen lamely offered. “It seems Solas was not too keen on my presence.”

Elena pulled on her gloves a bit, not looking away from Cullen. “I’m sure it wasn’t you. We’d been out here for quite awhile. I doubt his idea of joining a revolution involved hours of teaching basic offensive spells.” 

He grinned when he heard the lightness in her voice, praying to the Maker that the protective wall was melting a bit between them. “Fire seemed to be coming quite naturally to you.”

A bit of that pride wound its way back and Elena’s grin widened. “I’m a bit surprised if I’m being honest.” Cullen quirked his head to the side in question, and waited for her to continue. She did after a moment when she brought forth a small fireball that hovered over her palm. “In the stories I always read that the mages who used fire were brave, and passionate. I’ve never seen myself as either of those things.”

Cullen shook his head at her admission; thinking back to their last war room meeting, to the way she'd shocked all of her advisers when she'd yelled at them to hold their tongues as a disagreement began to escalate. “You don’t think yourself to be brave or passionate?” The ball of fire disappeared and it was Elena’s turn to look a bit lost. “Elena, it was you who managed to get Leliana and Cassandra not to rip each other's throats out just a few days ago. It was also you who refused to return from the Hinterlands without doing every last thing that those refugees needed done. You should know that you are both brave and passionate.”

He watched, a bit proudly, as her cheeks tinted pink from his praise. The smile remained though. “You’re saying that you’re not surprised that I use fire easily?”

He laughed out loud then. “Not in the slightest.”

Something unfamiliar flashed briefly in Elena’s eyes before she straightened herself and spoke, “that almost seems like a compliment, Commander.”

It was his turn to turn red as he realized what she was insinuating. His eyes widened ever so slightly, not knowing that she had a playful side to her. A playful side that left him floundering. “I - uh…I didn’t mean to, um…”

Suddenly alarm was creasing her features, and her own cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. They stood quietly staring at one another for a moment, both blushing like Chantry sisters in a tavern for the first time. Cullen’s own mind had gone blank, leaving him to fend for himself. His mouth was still open, as though he might think of something to quickly remedy whatever awkwardness that made its home between them, but nothing came. 

He found himself relieved when Elena all but shouted, “I just remembered that I promised Varric I would help with his…” She began shuffling in the direction of Haven, her fingers snapping in an attempt to come up with some excuse to leave. “His, uh, crossbow. He needs help… stringing his crossbow.”

Cullen watched, still frozen to the spot, as she all but turned and ran away from him. 

After a moment he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, an unceremonious snort slipping out of him as he recounted the moment back in his head. Elena Trevelyan was indeed brave.


End file.
